Vasiliy Lomachenko Reportedly Makes Retirement U-Turn for 2026 Fight

38-year-old 'Loma' to end a short-lived retirement and targets a return to the ring in late 2026

Nov 1, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Ukrainian former boxer Vasiliy Lomachenko watches in the second period of the game between the New Jersey Devils and the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Vasiliy Lomachenko plans to become the next big boxing star to come out of retirement in 2026.

Exactly two years after his most recent fight, an 11th-round TKO win over George Kambosos Jr., Lomachenko is looking to make his return, Ring Magazine's Mike Coppinger reported on Tuesday. 'Loma,' who turned 38 in February, is now a free agent and is looking to return in the fall, per Coppinger.

Lomachenko was previously under contract with Top Rank, but that deal expired on Tuesday, the two-year anniversary of his fight with Kambosos.

‼️ Vasiliy Lomachenko is coming out of retirement and is targeting a return in the fall of this year, sources tell The Ring’s @MikeCoppinger.

Lomachenko’s contract with Top Rank expires today and he’s now a promotional free agent seeking the biggest fights possible. pic.twitter.com/Ul4ZXQZOrv

— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) May 12, 2026

Whether Lomachenko intentionally evaded his Top Rank contract or not, he is now free to sign with any of the remaining opportunistic promotions. Regardless of what happens next, expect Turki Alalshikh and Riyadh Season to be heavily involved.

The win over Kambosos gave Lomachenko an 18-3 record at the time of his semi-surprising retirement. All but three of his professional fights have been for a world title after he hit the ground running with one of the greatest and most dominant amateur boxing careers of all time.

Lomachenko retired as the IBF and IBO lightweight champion and defended both titles against Kambosos. Both belts have since been redistributed, with Raymond Muratalla now owning the IBF strap and Pierce O'Leary controlling the IBO 135-pound title.

But despite losing both belts in retirement, Lomachenko could easily return in another title fight. The Ukrainian is still arguably the biggest star in the division, especially with Gervonta 'Tank' Davis on hiatus as he sorts out a myriad of legal issues.

Vasiliy Lomachenko back on the prowl in expected return

May 2, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Vasyl Lomachenko against Gamalier Rodriguez (not pictured) during their WBO featherweight championship bout at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Although many of his former rivals have since moved on from the 135-pound division, Lomachenko is still expected to return to his old stomping grounds. He has been consistently competing at lightweight since 2018 after reigning over the 130-pound and 126-pound divisions for a handful of years.

Since Lomachenko's retirement, the lightweight division has shifted to a youth movement, with all its former stars moving up in weight. Two of the four belts in the weight class are owned by a pair of the youngest active champions in the sport — Abdullah Mason, 22, and Jadier Herrera, 23. Herrera is the WBC's interim champion, a belt he won right before the organization controversially stripped Shakur Stevenson in February.

With Herrera still owning interim status and Davis currently the "champion in recess," three of the five main lightweight world titles are vacant. Lomachenko, who has fought for a world championship in over 85 percent of his professional career, is easily the most interesting option for any of the upcoming vacant title fights.